Capacitive touch switches may be incorporated into the user controls of devices such as domestic appliances (for example, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, etcetera) to replace traditional buttons and to provide a low-profile user interface. In the present disclosure, the term “capacitive touch switch,” or “switch,” refers to any type of sensor which detects the proximity or position of a user (typically, a user's finger) via a change in the capacitance of one or more electrodes. Several capacitive touch switches may be arranged along a panel, along with associated control circuitry, to form a user interface. Each switch may be associated with an icon disposed on the panel.
Visual feedback regarding the status or activation of a particular capacitive touch switch may be provided to a user by selectively illuminating the icon associated with the switch. By way of example, an icon may be semi-transparent, and a light source associated with the icon may cause light to shine through portions of the icon. When an icon is not illuminated, it may be desirable for the icon to be invisible or substantially invisible to the user. When some or all of the icons in a user interface disappear from view, a dead-front effect results in which the panel appears to the user as a monochromatic surface.